This tea party was for our son Gavin Leo and his little girlfriend Hadley Anderson to celebrate life and the importance of literacy and creative imagination.

Dream Big, READ! is a library inspired theme. The library and the power of reading and literature has been a huge part of our lives especially since having our son, Gavin Leo. We have a special love of our local library, the Dunedin Public Library in sunny Dunedin, Florida. We really enjoy the amazing public benefit it has in our lives and the local community. The library has provided wonderful mornings of story time and crafts, as well as magical afternoon music classes since our little boy was just a baby.
With this close to my heart, I wanted to create an inspirational theme that really touches on the power of education and the magic of imagination in the lives of children. We can travel with our imagination through the pages of fairy tales and wondrous story books and "Dream BIG" in our everyday lives.

To create this party I used every vintage and classic story book I had in my personal library, along with a few special treasures I bought at a local antique shop. I also picked up some old books to use as supplies to create unique and special designs and decorations; from letters cut out of a dictionary that hung from a tree branch to using the pages of books for all our printables for the party. I made a "Dream Journal" out of brown paper bags for the children as party favors and tied them together with blue ribbons.
For all the food I did a tea time theme for toddlers, which included fresh fruits and berries, peanut butter and banana squares, as well as cinnamon and honey strawberry squares. Our speciality treats included mini cupcake candies, chocolate filled strawberry candies and amazing cupcakes custom made at our local bakery. Fresh squeezed lemonade and blueberry tea were also provided as refreshments. Of course there were tiny lollipops and a doll sized tea set for the children to play with under the trees in our garden.

I created some fun DIY projects such as storage containers made out of old coffee cans, which I then covered in an old atlas. I reused them in my son's room to store and organize toys and special treasures. I have included a photo of the DIY Map Storage Tins in his bedroom. Just a fun way to stay organized on a crafty budget! I also made a DIY paper star out of postcard scrapbook paper to hang from the ceiling, inspired by the idea of dreaming big. My favorite piece was using a salvaged window pane in a vibrant aqua color as the main center piece for the table. Its bold and rustic charm really brought character and whimsy to the table and overall feel of the party. I used vintage books and antique tableware throughout the entire party to add a unique and elegant touch. I created a tablecloth out of old book pages for the tea party table outside in the garden. A fun repurposing piece was my Target shower curtain, which I used to style the dessert table. A creative way to purchase something that can be reused or re-gifted to a friend.

I really used whatever I had in the studio for supplies and decor to pull this fantasy inspired party together. I created a place where everything is possible and you can travel with your imagination in the pages of fairy tales. It's so important to always remember to "Dream Big" and allow children the chance to have time for imaginary play. My focus was on being crafty and creative, as well as promoting 'being green' by using as many upcycled and repurposed pieces as possible. I wanted to highlight the beauty of books and the creativity within their pages by sharing my personal connection with our local library. I hope to inspire others to find the magic of the public library in their community and all the endless knowledge that lies within them. The key underlying element is to showcase the importance of learning and for young children to use their imagination. A simple trip to the local library can bring so much magic into their lives. This party is close to my heart and I am so happy to share this message: The joy of a simple afternoon of reading can truly capture one's imagination, forever enriching a child's life.